GOV. IGE RECEIVES JUDICIAL SELECTION COMMISSION NOMINEES FOR INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

News Release from Office of the Governor, Aug 14, 2020

HONOLULU – The Judicial Selection Commission has submitted to Gov. Ige the names of five nominees for the judicial vacancy in the Intermediate Court of Appeals, State of Hawai‘i. The position has been vacant since the retirement of Associate Judge Alexa D.M. Fujise in April 2020.

The nominees are:

• David M. Forman, director, Environmental Law Program, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
• Summer M. M. Kupau-Odo, District Judge of the First Circuit
• Sonja M.P. McCullen, deputy prosecuting attorney, City and County of Honolulu
• Karen T. Nakasone, Circuit Judge of the First Circuit
• Taryn R. Tomasa Gifford, attorney, Office of the Public Defender

The Judicial Selection Commission submitted the list of nominees to the governor after careful evaluation and investigation into the backgrounds and qualifications of the applicants.

Gov. Ige will interview each nominee and is seeking public comment on the governor’s website at: https://governor.hawaii.gov/contact-us/contact-the-governor/.

Gov. Ige has 30 days or until Sept. 13 to make his appointments, which are subject to Senate confirmation.

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Associate Judge, Intermediate Court of Appeals Nominees

News Release from JSC, Aug 14, 2020

Under the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, Article VI, Appointment of Justices and Judges, Section 3: “The governor, with the consent of the senate, shall fill a vacancy in the office of the chief justice, supreme court, intermediate appellate court and circuit courts, by appointing a person from a list of not less than four, and not more than six, nominees for the vacancy, presented to the governor by the judicial selection commission.”

The Judicial Selection Commission is pleased to announce a list of nominees for the judicial vacancy of Associate Judge, Intermediate Court of Appeals, State of Hawaii.  The judicial office has been vacant since the retirement of Associate Judge Alexa D. M. Fujise in April 2020.

The list of nominees selected by the Commission to fill the vacancy for the judicial office in the Intermediate Court of Appeals are listed as follows in alphabetical order:

David M. Forman
Summer M. M. Kupau-Odo
Sonja M. P. McCullen
Karen T. Nakasone
Taryn R. Tomasa Gifford

The Governor has 30 days from his receipt of the list today to make his appointment.

Statistics

Total Applicants: 10; 5 Females; 5 Males
Government Attorneys: 3
Private Attorneys: 3
Judges: 2
Other: 2
Age Range: 1 (31-40); 3 (41-50); 5 (51-60); 1 (61-70)
Years Licensed Range: 11 years to 33 years